Gotham: The Sins of the Son
by NextGeneration18
Summary: Three decades after Bruce puts on a suit to defend Gotham City, Jim Gordon's prodigal son, James Jr. returns home from the military due to being dishonorably discharged for an unknown reason. Meanwhile, Jim's daughter Janelle is the youngest detective in the GCPD, Penguin's adoptive daughter is acting up, and Bruce and Selina have more kids than they know what to do with. Jim/Lee


**Hey, y'all! I'm back with another story, this time, about Gotham!**

 **At the moment, I'm not quite sure how this story came to be except by studying James Gordon Jr.'s backstory in the comic books, the premier of the 4th season of Gotham, and a little imagination.**

 **Now, the first couple of chapters here are going to be a little different than what the summary entailed because this is going to be the build up for what is to come. As a disclaimer, James is going to be written differently in this story than in the comic books, so if you're looking for an accurate portrayal of James Gordon Jr. here, you're not going to find it here. The way his character is in the comic books and the way my story will develop just kind of clash.**

 **On another note, this story is slightly connected to my other story "Taking the Bullet for Bullock" because it features Janelle as James' sister, and Cade will be in later chapters. For now, James is only 17 and is already putting his family through some sort of hell.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Judge Connell was not a patient man. He was many things, such as fair, intuitive and just, but he was not known for being patient.

Jim tapped his foot in his spot in the isle he sat and looked at his watch, then to his wife, Lee who sat beside him, looking behind them at the closed court doors. On his other side, his 15-year-old daughter Janelle rolled her eyes and shook her head. All were wondering the same thing out of both frustration and concern.

Where was James?

He was supposed to be there, with them, in the court room discussing his punishment for shoplifting the local gas station and then moving on with their lives.

Judge Connell's face turned to the big clock that hung over the courtroom doors and sighed exasperatedly. If James didn't show up within the next few minutes, he would move on to the next case and reschedule James' trial.

A part of Jim believed that James knew this and was purposefully trying to make things difficult. He clenched his jaw as he saw Lee look sadly at her folded hands. She had been through so much…a lot of it brought on by Jim himself, and she didn't need their son doing the same thing. He had been like this for years, first by skipping school and being the bully when he was at school, then moved onto skipping out on the law by driving 65 mph in a 20 mph street, not paying his tickets…

And shoplifting gas stations.

Jim grasped both of Lee's hands in one of his own and sighed.

Maybe he deserved this kind of son after all the things he had done in his lifetime, but not Lee. Not the mother who lay awake worrying about her son, wondering where he was or when he was coming home. Not the wife who accepted the critics that came with having the GDPD commissioner as her husband. Wasn't there any way for him to endure this kind of load without Lee being affected by it?

Unfortunately not. He was both of their son, and anything he would do, would affect both of them.

* * *

There was nothing like Metallica to get your day started.

At least that's what James Gordon Jr. thought as he pulled out of his driveway with his motorcycle blaring "Sad But True."

It was raining, but he was a die-hard when it came to his bike. The only thing that would stop him from riding his Ducati would be if Gotham's roads suddenly froze over. After all, he wouldn't want to ruin it.

He had told his parents that he had set his alarm. This was true; he had just set it to ring at the very last second. His court hearing was at 8:30, and he had set it for 8:15. After all, Judge Connell and his father were friends. He could wait.

James turned the corner and squinted as a girl in a black hooded jacket and purple backpack came into view. Her head turned at the sound of his radio and he slowed down to match her level revealing two dark eyes and a mess of wild dark curls poking out from her hood.

James pulled his motorcycle to a stop and flipped open his helmet's visor.

"Morning, Ms. Wayne."

Helena Wayne smiled and shyly played with the straps on her backpack. She had always been a quiet girl.

"What are you doing walking out in the rain?"

"I might ask the same of you driving your motorcycle in this weather."

"What, this? This is just a little rain. And I have a helmet.

"You, on the other hand, have two parents, four brothers, three of them with driver's licenses and a butler at your disposal and you're somehow walking in the rain to school?"

"My dad had an early meeting at Wayne Enterprises, and he took my mom with him because she's in charge of the St. Maria's Orphanage charity, which is the subject of the meeting.

"Dick's been in Bludhaven since last weekend, don't as me what he's doing there, Jason's having his car repaired so he's at the shop and Tim didn't know any of this and took our remaining vehicle that would have been driven by Alfred to take me to Gotham Academy."

"And Damian? Your younger brother?"

"Hitched a ride with one of his friends and didn't bother to tell me."

"Ouch. Can't say I'm surprised." James looked farther down the road, Gotham Academy not even in view.

"Say, when does your first class start?"

"8:30."

James looked at his wrist watch.

"It's 8:25. Want a lift?"

Helena blinked a couple of times then smiled.

"Well…I guess. I mean, after all, we're going to the same place, right?"

James smiled. He was almost surprised she hadn't heard about his court hearing. Well, almost. Some 13 years olds could still have ignorant bliss, and Helena Wayne was no exception.

"I have to take care of something today, so I'm not going to be in school today."

"Lucky."

No, not lucky.

"if you say so." He removed his helmet and gestured for her to come closer. Her cheeks tinted pink and James wondered whom she had inherited her shyness from. Bruce was always direct and Selina never took no for an answer.

Helena walked until she was in front of his and took her hood off.

"You're giving me your helmet?" She asked trying to matt down her black ringlets.

"Well, yeah, it's my only one. The media's going to give you a hard enough time for being seen with me, you don't need to be seen without a helmet." He handed it to her.

"Why, because you're an older boy or because you're a criminal?"

James raised an eyebrow.

"Come on, I live with three adults and you're friends with Dick and Jay. I know way more than I let on."

He couldn't resist a smile.

"Apparently."

"So, what, you have a date with a judge or something?"

"You want a ride to school or not?" He smirked at her.

Helena shrugged.

"Okay." She adjusted the strap on her—his—helmet and climbed up behind him.

"Ready?"

He felt her arms wrap around his waist.

"I am now."

* * *

At long last, he arrived.

Jim let out a sigh of relief and heard Lee do the same.

Beside him, Janelle brought her fingers into an L on her forehead as James walked by with an air of overconfidence.

Much like Jamie, Judge Connell was not impressed.

"And what, Mr. Gordon, is your excuse for being late?" He folded his hands over his pulpit.

"I was doing a public service by helping a fellow student get to school on time."

Jamie groaned out loud and rested her head on the back of her chair.

"Shh."

"What, Dad? You think he would have helped our classmate if he didn't have a court date to be to?"

Judge Connell clenched his jaw then picked up his hammer.

"Let us proceed without further delays."

* * *

"6 months in Juvie?! I have to spend the rest of my childhood in JUVIE!?"

"What do you expect when you have 6 unpaid tickets and a conviction of robbery?"

James glared at his sister.

"Hey, I'm just saying."

"Your sister has a point." His mother crossed her arms, "James, what the heck were you thinking, robbing a gas station? In broad daylight, no less."

"Um...I wanted those snacks, but not enough to pay for them?"

"James…" His father's tone held that sweet familiar note of warning.

"What, $3 for a Slim Jim isn't a little much?"

"That's beside the point, Son, you could have gone to the grocery store if you wanted a cheaper beef jerky."

James shrugged.

"Still couldn't have gotten it free."

He could see the muscle in his father's jawline jerk as he stuck his hands in his coat pocket. his sister rolled her eyes again, her signature reaction of the day.

"Why?" His mother asked him. Unlike his father or sister, she didn't look angry or annoyed.

Just sad.

For a second, James felt a little guilty for making her feel that way. It wasn't like he was doing this on purpose to make her life miserable.

But the guilt vanished as he remembered how exhilarating it was to run out the door with the cops on his tail. To have them so close to catching him, only to make a clean getaway over the alleyway fence. It had taken another 15 minutes for them to find him hiding in one of the abandoned warehouses. Even then, it had been one of his best runs.

"I just like the thrill of being in danger." He answered his mother. He didn't bother looking at Janelle. He knew she'd be rolling her eyes again.

"You know there are more constructive ways of doing that," His father stated drawing James' attention away from his mother.

"Yeah, but they all cost money."

"And yet," Jim gestured to him in his handcuffs, "You're paying a higher price."

For once, he had no comeback. Not even a bad one.

"Is this where you say you'll visit me?"

"Do you want it to be?"

James looked to his mother and sister who stood silent.

"I guess."

"Alright." His dad nodded to him. "See you in a week."

His mother walked over and kissed him on his head. For once, James let her.

"I'll send you some cookies."

Behind him, his security officer snickered, cracking the first smile from Jamie that James had seen all day.

"Mom."

"Alright. I love you."

He looked at Janelle who raised an eyebrow.

"See ya in prison." She said turning to follow their parents out the door.

"Think she could send me some cookies?" The security officer asked.

"Oh, shut up." James internally cringed as he caught the officer checking her out as she shut the door behind them. He may not be on the best of terms with her at the moments, but for crying out loud, she was still his mother.

* * *

 **So...what do you think so far? Let me know in comment/review section! I'll take any sort of constructive critism, but no foul language and/or character bashing.  
**

 **And, just as a closing commentary, in this story, Damian is going to be Bruce and Selina's biological son, which kind of follows the Batman: Brave and the Bold storyline, but I figured it would just cut the drama with Talia in half. Sorry. Please don't hate me.**


End file.
